Latch for doors



J. P. BURT LATCH FOR DOORS May 12, 1931.

Filed Nov. 27, 1929 HEM- ',rfr Pfg-2- Patented May 12, 1931 PATENT QFFICE JAMES nBim'r, ory TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, Assienon 'ro GLENwooD naiven coivif i AIY, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS LATCH FOR noons Application led November 27, 1929. Serial No. 410,104.

The invention relates to an improved latch or lia-sp for a door, and especially for the oven doors of stoves.

The object of the invention is to provide a 6 powerful concealed latch which will hold the door securely closed but permit its easy opening. A further object of the invention is to provide a latch composed of a few easily applied or replaceable parts and which will 1G withstand rough usage and not easily wear out.

The invention can best be seen and under stood by reference to the drawings in which an embodiment of the invention is shown, only Such portion of the parts to which the latch is applied being shown as is necessary to understand the invention.

In the drawings Y Figure 1 is an outside front elevation of a 30 door and casing with applied latch and keeper.

Fig. 2 is an inside elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section and partial plan of the parts shown in 1, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of the latch and keeper and associated parts.

Referring to the drawings:

1 represents the frame or casing surrounding a doorway or opening 2 and presenting an inset amb or edge 3 against which the door closes. 4 represents the door understood to be a hinged or pivoted door and preferably a drop door. 5 represents the latch, and 6 the keeper.

The latch 5 comprises a tongue 7 projecting from inside the opening 2 closed by the door and preferably through this opening at a point just .adjacent the jamb or edging 3 against which the door closes. The tongue is borne by a bar 8. The tongue projects from about the centre of this bar with root eXtension from the bottom of the bar in the same plane with it and thence is turned at about right angles to the plane of the bar to extend through the doorway as aforesaid. The bar 8 is provided with upwardly offset ends 9, 9 lying in the same plane as the body of the bar and connecting therewith through angular connections 10, 10. The bar 8 is arranged to 50 lie just inside the jamb or edging 3 of the casing, parallelling it and spaced from it. It is fastened to the casing by screw connections 11 extending through the offset ends of the bar and fastening into posts 12 projecting inwardly from the amb or edging of the casing and upon which posts the ends of the bar rest. As will presently be explained, it

`is the forward end 111 of the tongue portion of the latch which engages the keeper for holding the door closed. rlhis end is preferably thickened and the tongue is preferably slightly bent, or otherwise so formed, that the forward end 14 thereof will present a slightly downwardly projecting rounding edge 15 capable of riding upon and slipping over the keeper, and there be formed also back of the edge 15 a seat 16 into which the keeper may fit to lie in back of the edge 15 when the door is in its locked position and is being retained by the downturned edge 15 of the latch.

The keeper (iconiprises a plate mounted upon the edge of the door and occupying a position where it will lie just beneath the tongue of the latch to be engaged by it when the door is closed. The keeper' is mounted upon a stud or post 17 on the door to which it is fixed by a screw connection 18 extending through the keeper and fastening into the post. That portion 19, of the keeper to be engaged by the latch is preferably thickened and made to present beveled top surfaces 2O and 21, respectively, permitting the downwardly projecting edge 15 of the latch riding over the keeper as the door is moved to a closed position and enabling the keeper to become seated and lit in behind the edge 15 as previously explained when the door becomes fully closed.

The bar 8 supporting the tongue of the latch is of a metal highly resilient though strongly resistant to bending. A cast metal or cast iron bar is preferably employed. Although cast metal or cast iron might not ordinarily be classed as a spring metal, yet in this particular' structure, on account of the way in which it is made, the cast metal or cast iron bar possesses sufficient capability of distortion and resilience to effectively obtain the the door on the inside thereof adjacent 1 objective result. The attached tongue is preferably cast integral with the bar. The keeper is also preferably ot the same cast metal.

The general operation is as follows lhen the door is being moved to a closed position the downwardly projecting edge 15 ol the latch at the forward end of its tongue will strike the beveled edge Y2O oit the keeper when the tongue will be lifted to ride over the keeper. As the edge l5 of the latch strikesthe beveled edge 2l otthe keeper the tongue will be permitted to drop until such tin s as the keeper has become seated to lie in back of the edge l5 of the latch, which effect takes place upon the full closure of the door. thus latching the door. This result is obtained on account of the resilience ot' the bar 8 supporting the tongue which being distorted permits the tongue being lifted to ride over the keeper. The distortion of the bar S is readilyobtainable without exerting undue stress on the ba` mountings because ot the angular Yconnectnms l0, l0 between the body of the bar and its upwardly offset ends. In tact the lifting ot' the tongue to ride over the keeper may be obtained on account of' the resilience of the entire latch structure made as it of cast metal. Moreover the bending or distortion ot the latch to permit of its tongue riding over the keeper need be only a very slight bending or distortion for the reason that the tortioned latch, or bar portion thereol, especially when made of cast metal when distorted will exert great force in tending to resmne its normal shape. Aecordingly there need be only a very slight bending or distortion ot the latch or bar portion thereof to enable the tongue to ride over the keeper and obtain the locking effect `for holding the door securely closed yetl permit of' its easy opening.

Having thus fully described my invention, .l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States 1 1. ln a door assembly having a casing member enclosing a doorway and a. door member controlling the doorway, releasable means Jr'or holding the door closed comprising a keeper secured to one of said members, a resilient ba r secured to the other of said menibers, means tor securing the opposite ends of said bar to said other of the members, and a tongue connecting with said bar between the opposite seem-ed ends thereof with extension through the doorway to have releasable enga gement with the keeper when the door is in a closed position.

2. In a door assembly having a casing member enclosing` a doorway and a. door member controlling the doorway, releasable means for holding the door closed comprising a` keeper secured to one ot' Isaid members, a resilient bar ha ving offset ends secured to the other ot said members, means for fixing said offset ends of the bar to said other of the members, and

a tongue connecting with the edge of the bar between the fixed offset ends thereof with turned extension through the doorway to releasably engage the keeper when the door is in a closed position.

3. In a door assembly having a casing enclosing a doorway and a door controlling the doorway, releasable means for holding the door closed con'iprising a keeper secured to the inside of the door, a resilient bar having offset ends secured to the inside of the casing in spaced relation thereto, means for fixing said oflset ends of the bar to the casing, and a tongue connect-ing with the edge of the bar between the offset ends thereof with turned extension through the doorway to releasably engage the keeper when the door is in a closed position.

4. In a door assembly having a casing memi ber enclosing a doorway and a door controlling the doorway, a. keeper secured to the inside of the door, a latch secured to the interior of the casing member, said latch comprising a resilient metal bar, means for fixing the opposite ends of the bar to the interior of the casing member adjacent the doorway and whereby the bar will occupy a position in spaced relation to the casing member, and a tongue connecting with the edge of the bar between the ends thereof with outturned extension through the doorway to releasably engage the keeper when the door is in a closed position.

JAMES P. BUR-T. 

